Close Read: Politicians and Their Children

The death of Ivan Cameron, the six-year-old son of the Conservative leader, David Cameron, has been a huge story in Britain. Cameron was very open about his son’s medical problems, which followed him from birth. Some of his countrymen thought that he spoke about it a little too much—these are the British we’re talking about, after all—but the public grief seems genuine and bipartisan; the Prime Minister’s question time was suspended out of respect. It’s an interesting problem—when does a politician’s display of his child’s tragedy feel right, and not exploitative? The answer seems to have something to do with whether we think it humbles him rather than just underscoring his conviction (common in people who think they can rule the world) that he is special. When there is a sense that awful circumstances have been used to ratify ambition (see John Edwards) or justify an ideology (Sarah Palin), sympathy hardens, however nice we’d like to be. That’s why Joe Biden, who’s had his own losses, got so emotional when Palin presented her parenting efforts as a unique selling proposition in the Vice-Presidential debate. In Cameron’s case, Ivan’s illness challenged and changed his views of the National Health Service, and people seem to like him better for that.

Scientists are meeting in Paris today to try to find a way to save Lascaux, the cave painted with hunting scenes fifteen to seventeen thousand years ago. A black mold is creeping across the paintings, and global warming has made it all worse. Judith Thurman has written about the startling quality of cave paintings, and the battles they’ve occasioned.

Art is always a struggle: there is more controversy from Eurovision, the world’s favorite politco-musical battle (disguised as a song contest). The Israeli left—the left—is upset that their country is being represented by a Jew and an Arab who perform together.

That makes about as much sense as Stephon Marbury’s past year with the Knicks. Luckily, the Marbury saga is over for New York—but it looks like it’s just beginning for Boston. Why would the Celtics want Marbury? Sports Illustrated has an answer; it involves a lot of ifs.

Amy Davidson is a New Yorker staff writer. She is a regular Comment contributor for the magazine and writes a Web column, in which she covers war, sports, and everything in between.